The best 15x binos

[TrackerG]

Good morning everyone. I live in Arizona and have for the past 7 years. I have fell into love with Coues deer hunting and it’s always a large part of my year now. I find myself using my 15s more frequently than just coues deer now that I am used to them. I have Leupold 15x56 BX5 HD which really are great glass for the money. However I am ready to sell them and upgrade.

Has anyone used the Zeiss 15x56, Leica 15x56 (gen 2), Swarovski 15x56 HD, and the Meopta 15x56?

If so where would you rank a 1-4? Advantages and disadvantages?

Thanks everyone.

 

[gr8fuldoug]

If you can see more than an ever so slight difference between the SLC and the Meostar I'd be amazed. Since you want to upgrade those are the 2 you should be considering or you'll be upgrading again. It's our pleasure, as a long standing supporting vendor here, to discuss this as well as special opportunities with you. Please give a call, 516-217-1000, when you have the time. Thanks

 

[Fire_9]

The Meoptas are pretty damn nice for the money. In my opinion they’re way nicer than the Leupolds you’ve been using. It took my 5 seconds of comparing the two for me to realize I was sending the Leupold’s back. I’m pretty sure there was a set in the classifieds recently for a killer price.

 

[BBob]

Swarovski 15x56 HD, and the Meopta 15x56?

1 & 2 by a close margin.

 

[MallardSX2]

Never tried the Meopta's but my Swaro's are really nice.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

I hunt course every year as well. My favorite animal to hunt.

Buy the Meopta B1 Plus 15x56. I prefer them over the Swarovski image overall. They are also more durable in my experience.

 

[Cannonball]

Meopta 15x56 HD B1 plus SOLD

Meopta B1 plus 15x56 HD in great condition $1150 eastside Tucson 520-461-8507 Price drop

www.coueswhitetail.com

No my listing but I’d snag these. I got a pair of Meopta B1 (not plus) off coues for $1k. Upgraded from Leo BX-5 on which I didn’t like the eyecups

 

[Eastonsgrandpa]

The Swaro and Meopta are the only two to consider when truly upgrading.

They are so close I don’t know you’d ever see a difference optically. The form factor is where the Swaro has the advantage imo. Smaller and easier to manage. And I have no idea what either weigh but the Swaro feels lighter to me. May just be how they are balanced.

 

[rcook10]

I'd throw mavens in the ring too. For the money you'd be hard pressed see the difference.

 

[Eastonsgrandpa]

I'd throw mavens in the ring too. For the money you'd be hard pressed see the difference.

I looked through a friend’s pair of Maven 15’s on a scouting trip with patchy snow on the opposite hill. The color fringing around the snow patches was bad. Like a thick band of yellow around the edge of all of the snow.

My SLC’s showed zero fringing. Was a crazy difference.


Typically Maven look pretty decent to me and I have a couple friends who run them but that one really turned me off.

 

[Beendare]

If you can see more than an ever so slight difference between the SLC and the Meostar I'd be amazed.

I would agree. I hunt AZ desert every year, and have compared both the Swaro and Meopta on a tripod while coues deer hunting. Its a dead heat between Meopta and Swaro, in fact I think there is a little better image clarity with Meoptas. I haven’t seen the 15x Leica or Zeiss

I did trade off my Meoptas for the 18x Vortex UHD after a side by side comparison, that 3x and the Japanese glass makes a big difference. FWIW, The lower end Vortex aren’t even close To their UHD line.

Edited for typos and clarification

 

[TrackerG]

I hunt course every year as well. My favorite animal to hunt.

Buy the Meopta B1 Plus 15x56. I prefer them over the Swarovski image overall. They are also more durable in my experience.

No kiddin, I was hoping someone would say that. I just wish I could find a pair to test before buying

 

[azjim]

TrackerG
I’m in Tucson if you want to look through a pair. Mine are the B1, not the latest plus series.
Jim

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

No kiddin, I was hoping someone would say that. I just wish I could find a pair to test before buying

Where you at in AZ? You can borrow mine whenever. They have an outdoorsmans stud in them for whatever mounting system you have. You can borrow my outdoorsmans micro pan head and my carbon tripod as well if you need.

The outdoorsmans store in Fountain Hills up north of me about an hour or so has a bunch of binos you can look through as well. Not sure they have Meopta though.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

TrackerG
I’m in Tucson if you want to look through a pair. Mine are the B1, not the latest plus series.
Jim

There isn't really any imaging updates on the B1 plus versus the B1. They corrected a couple durability issues in the B1 plus, which for me are worth it.

 

[TrackerG]

I hunt course every year as well. My favorite animal to hunt.

Buy the Meopta B1 Plus 15x56. I prefer them over the Swarovski image overall. They are also more durable in my experience.

No kiddin, I was hoping someone would say that. I just wish I could find a pair to test before b

TrackerG
I’m in Tucson if you want to look through a pair. Mine are the B1, not the latest plus series.
Jim

i am also in Tucson, I would love to look through them one day. I live in northeast Tucson. You?

 

[azjim]

I’ll pm you and set something up.

 

[TrackerG]

Where you at in AZ? You can borrow mine whenever. They have an outdoorsmans stud in them for whatever mounting system you have. You can borrow my outdoorsmans micro pan head and my carbon tripod as well if you need.

The outdoorsmans store in Fountain Hills up north of me about an hour or so has a bunch of binos you can look through as well. Not sure they have Meopta though.

Thanks a ton! Are yours the PLUS model? I live in north east Tucson. I am quickly finding out there is a great community here on Rokslide. I should have joined a long time ago.

I am gonna make a trip up to Outdoorsmans in the next couple weeks. I really want to look through the Leicas as well just cause they have the range finder in them

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

Thanks a ton! Are yours the PLUS model? I live in north east Tucson. I am quickly finding out there is a great community here on Rokslide. I should have joined a long time ago.

I am gonna make a trip up to Outdoorsmans in the next couple weeks. I really want to look through the Leicas as well just cause they have the range finder in them

Mine are the plus model which have no image improvements to the B1's. They made some minor mechanical tweaks to increase durability is all. Might be closer/easier to use the guy in Tucson...

If you want to stop by on the way to fountain hills message me. You can borrow mine for a couple weeks. Take the route up through 79 instead of going on the 10 and I can meet you in Florence.

 

[TrackerG]

I’ll pm you and set something up.

Thank you again! Great binos